Happy birthday Sophie! Countess of Wessex celebrates turning 52 with a cake and balloons on a working trip to Devon
Sophie celebrated her 52nd birthday with a working trip to Clyst St Mary
Countess was appointed president of the Devon County Agricultural Association
The royal was presented with a specially-made cake and birthday balloons
Wore head-to-toe black with a pair of knee-high suede heeled boots
The Countess of Wessex was treated to a birthday surprise during a working trip to Devon on Friday.
Sophie, who turns 52 today, also appointed president of the Devon County Agricultural Association's during the group's AGM in Clyst St Mary, near Exteter, where she was presented with a colourful bunch of balloons.
The royal, who was lucky enough to see a rare glimpse of winter sunshine,...

The Royal Toddler is very good at doing what he's told.
Just in case you needed another reason to love the world's most famous 3-year-old, Prince George has proved that he can also be super polite when he needs to be.
In the cover story of this week's issue of People, a local in Norfolk, England, revealed an adorable story about the family's recent visit to a café in the area. Apparently, the little prince's mom, Duchess Kate, said to George, "Ask the nice lady what you'd like to have." And like a good little boy, George did what he was told. He said, "Excuse me nice lady, but can I have ..." and pointed to the cake he wanted! How cute is that?
There's a possibility that George was just getting a little sassy with his mom, but he might also just be very obedient (and polite!). Eithe

Sophie stayed overnight in Otterburn on Monday for a short break from her journey, which is taking her from Holyroodhouse, in Edinburgh, to Buckingham Palace. She then stopped for a break in Corbridge.
She is pedalling from palace-to-palace as part of her Diamond Challenge in support of the Duke of Edinburgh Award, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
The Countess left Otterburn at around 9.30am on Tuesday and was given a send off by members of the Northumberland Church of England Academy Combined Cadet Force.
Cadets and learners travelled from Ashington to see the Countess head off from outside of St John the Evangelist Church, where she took time to chat with them about DofE.
Major Eyton Parker accompanied a group of 13 to the send-off.
He said: “She was lovely and really to

The Countess of Wessex has sent an inspiring good luck message to the women's England hockey team ahead of their Olympic match on Friday night. Sophie recorded a sweet video from the Queen's Scottish residence Balmoral, where she is currently enjoying her summer holidays with her family.
"Hi girls, well done, congratulations you're in the final," said Sophie. "This is everything that you've worked for. It's fantastic and I'm so proud of you.
"I'll be watching tomorrow night. I'm just so sad I can't be with you but I'm there in spirit. Good luck, take care, I hope everybody's okay from last night and... Bring it home. Well done!"
Sophie Wessex is Patron of England Hockey
The Countess, who is Patron of England Hockey, sent the clip live from Balmoral, where the majestic castle can be s...

The Countess of Wessex is currently undergoing training for her 445 mile Duke of Edinburgh Diamond award challenge, and has opened up about how challenging she has found the preparation for her impressive journey so far.
Appearing on the royal family's Instagram account, Sophie said: "I think if you'd asked me a few months ago if I would be able to do sixty miles I think I probably would have laughed but here we are I'm doing sixty miles!
The Countess has been training for a 445 mile challenge
"It's been hard and it's probably been harder than I thought. There have definitely been moments when I have thought what on earth have I decided to do?!"
The video was captioned explaining the Countess's ambitious challenge. It read: "An update from The Countess of Wessex on training for h...

She's just entered that notoriously difficult decade for women - her 50s - when it's so common to find confidence wilting and style looking old hat.
And, of course, it's usually at this moment women's waistlines begin the great middle-aged spread.
So what on earth is the Countess of Wessex's secret? At 51, she looks sleeker, more glamorous and more youthful than she has done for more than a decade, the Daily Mail reports.
Indeed, an appearance at the New Forest and Hampshire County Show this week saw a radiant Sophie looking trim in an elegant Prada brown and cream dress, with a crisp white cardigan.
So how is Sophie seemingly managing to age backwards?
Well, it has lot to do with the loyal male dresser whose tasks include zipping up her dresses, a fiendishly organised inventory of ea...

A busy summer of holidays and official engagements are ahead for the Royal Family and while eyes may always be on the likes of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the rest of the family are extremely busy around the country so make sure you're up to date with royal engagements this week.
While the Countess of Wessex will be in the New Forest this week at The New Forest and Hampshire County Show in Brockenhurst, Hampshire, the anniversary of the outbreak of World War One falls on July 28 so The Duchess of Cornwall will be attending First World War memorials.
IBTimes UK will be updating the diary daily with any added news so be sure to check back for updates.
Monday - 25 July 2016The Countess of Wessex As President of The New Forest Agricultural Show Society, she will be attending The Show...

Serena Williams might be the queen of the tennis court, but last week she came face-to-face with actual royalty. Before winning her 22nd Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, the 34-year-old met with the Duchess of Cambridge and the Countess of Wessex – and now she is sharing more details about their encounter.
On Monday, the tennis ace took to Facebook to share photos from her time in London – including a new snapshot showing her with the British royals. "I had so much fun this past 2 weeks," Serena wrote alongside the collection of images. "Winning my 22nd grand slam title is something I will forever cherish."
Serena shared a photo of herself with Kate and Sophie on Facebook
She continued: "Although some part of me is thinking about this hectic summer that includes the Olympics and the US

'I've had so much fun this past few weeks': Serena Williams treats fans to an unseen snap of her royal encounter with Kate and Sophie Wessex at Wimbledon
Tennis ace met royals ahead of semi-final last week
Posted a video cuddling up to the Duchess and Countess on Snapchat
Has released first photo of trio together on Facebook
Included snap in collection of favourite memories from past two weeks
It's been an epic few days for Serena Williams who won her 22nd Grand Slam title at Wimbledon - her seventh victory at the All England Club on Saturday.
A smaller, but not less noted achievement was introducing the Duchess of Cambridge and the Countess of Wessex to Snapchat when she met them ahead of her semi-final match against Elena Vesnina.
And now the tennis ace has shared an unseen snap of ...